CRP (C-reactive protein) is a well-established marker of inflammation measured in blood. Acute exercise can transiently elevate CRP, while regular endurance training is often linked to lower baseline CRP. However, the direct utility of a CRP test for guiding sports performance is limited: it indicates systemic inflammation but not its cause (e.g., infection, overtraining, injury). An elevated CRP might signal inadequate recovery or increased injury risk, but it does not replace medical evaluation. Consumer tests like MyBody-X measure CRP via capillary blood – accuracy can vary. For athletes, CRP testing may serve as a supplementary clue, not a standalone decision tool. The evidence for performance improvement through CRP monitoring is moderate, based on observational studies rather than randomized interventions. Bottom line: CRP can reflect inflammatory status, but claiming it 'helps with sport' is overstated – it is one tool among many.
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